U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez joined other Democratic senators from northeastern states in calling for more funding for Amtrak in the wake of the May 12 derailment that killed at least eight people.

The senators — who hailed from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Delaware — said the crash called attention to the need to replace aging bridges and tunnels, and install a speed-control system along the entire Northeast Corridor. The National Transportation Safety Board said the accident could have been avoided had a speed-control system been in place.

"I hope that is a crystallizing moment," Menendez (D-N.J.), the the ranking member of the Senate Banking subcommittee that oversees mass transit, said after the press conference. "Had Amtrak had the full resources they needed, they could have deployed positive train control earlier we may not have seen that accident."

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